Books like 'Playing My Cards Right'
Readers who enjoyed Playing My Cards Right by N. Owens also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance mafia vengeance
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The Enigma by Jodi Ellen Malpas
A fatal blend of revenge and desire.After leaving her fiancé at the altar and quitting her job as a Miami cop, Beau Hayley stumbles through life, feeling only resentment. Injustice. Loss. Her mom’s death was called an accident. She’s not convinced. Grieving, she becomes numb to everything except the constant, biting pain of heartbreak and hate. She can see no light... -
The Truth About Us by Aly Martinez
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsTruth: Penn Walker entered my life like a summer storm—dark, ominous, and filled with thunder. After witnessing my husband’s murder, I didn’t have much of a heart left to offer a man. But Penn took it all. Every jagged shard. Every broken bit.Even the dirty and twisted pieces that I wish never existed. Lie: I didn’t need him to save me.Lie: I knew exactly who he was... -
Intolerable Bishop by Brooklyn Cross
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe arrogant bishop feels superior, but it will race the fastest to its downfall. I had been looking forward to summer break since learning I was going home for a month. Not only would I see my Aunt Nadia and my best friend Lizzy, but I wasn’t traveling alone.But being home wasn’t at all what I thought it would be…I’m drowning in mysteries and have to find the answers or die trying... -
Carson by Jane Henry
Megan: Carson Flynn is dangerous and brooding.Intensely possessive.Angry, fierce...Haunted.He’s a member of the Clan. A criminal.And a single father who’d burn the world for his daughter.But when he turns his eye on me, I know I should run.I should definitely hide.But it’s already too late...Because when Carson sets his mind on something, he gets what he wants.And what he wants... is me... -
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Easy to Fall by W. Winters
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Willow Winters comes the epic conclusion to the heart-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat gripping, romantic suspense, Hard to Love series.With her I was always on the highest high. That's why it was so easy to fall. I never stood a chance without her. The two of us were made for one another. It's as simple as that. The world could try to rip us apart, but it would fail... -
Cross by Shantel Tessier
CROSSHave you ever stood next to a fire and felt the heat of it on your skin? Stared into the flames and thought how amazing it would be to be that free? It changes direction with the wind, destroying everything in its wake.That's what she felt like.Alexa was a wildfire that torched everything she touched, and I couldn't wait to be consumed by her.She was off-limits... -
Rescuing Isabelle by Ellie Masters
Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsKeeping her safe from a deadly cartel might be the easy part of our relationship…As a former NAVY SEAL and Guardian, rescuing Isabelle LaCroix was my job.Falling for her was not.But that didn’t stop me.Boy, did I fall hard.Just my luck… Izzy isn’t looking for happily ever after. Especially not with a guy like me... -
Haven by K.A. Merikan
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratings— Not the same river, not the same man. —After seven years away, Seth and Domenico are back in Sicily with one goal in mind.Revenge.The man who’d hounded their family is still alive, and as untouchable as he’s always been. While they wait for the right moment to strike, reality clashes with fond memories of home... -
Luca by Eden Summers
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLuca dragged me from hell and delivered me to salvation.At least that's what I thought.I hoped this would be a new life. A fresh start.But the pain followed.I'm certain the monsters did, too.I'm told it's paranoia. Trauma. PTSD.Nobody believes my truth.But they'll soon learn.We all will.Because as much as I want to forget the mantra from my nightmares, it hasn't stopped being true... -
Love & Power by Elizabeth Knight
Love is what started this whole thing. A man who loved two women. A mother who sacrificed herself for her daughter. A daughter who will stop at nothing to take down those who killed and threatened the ones she loves. I’ve been told all my life that love was a weakness in our world. That couldn’t be further from the truth, but that’s only half of what I need to finish the job... -
A Fine Line by MercyAnn Summers
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis book is an interconnected standalone within the Ends World. While you don't have to read the Ends Duet before reading this book, it is recommended that you do in order to understand the entire Ends World up to this point.CarolinaI didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt.That wasn’t my intention.And I knew he would come for me... -
Yakuza Fiance: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii Vol. 7 by Asuka Konishi
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsAs Kirishima's birthday approaches he has a favor to ask from there's someone he'd like her to meet. They make a trip to Kirishima's childhood home, a visit with an old relative far overdue. Yoshino finally has an opportunity to learn more about her enigmatic fiance. Meanwhile, with the Kirigaya Clan deep in murky conspiracies, the mysterious Azami schemes... -
Empire Nightclub #1-4 by K.A. Tucker
One visit to her father in prison—convicted for a murder he didn’t commit—and she's attracted the attention of the last man she'd ever want knowing that she exists.This bundle includes all four full-length books in the highly addictive Empire Nightclub series!Sweet MercyGabriel FallenDirty EmpireFallen EmpireThis series is intended for mature audiences... -
Ruthless Sinner by Faith Summers, Khardine Gray
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsI’m the governor’s daughter and he’s a mafia boss in the Bratva. It was a no-brainer. I was forbidden to him and him to me. But when we met at his nightclub, I thought he was my prince charming. I couldn’t fight my attraction to the tattooed Russian god, any more than he could for me. Dante Levitsky is tall, dark and dangerously handsome with Mediterranean blue eyes you could swim in forever... -
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Spiders in the Grove by J.A. Redmerski
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsIzabel and Naeva find themselves right where they wanted to be in Mexico: captured and held in the slave compounds owned by the Ruiz family. But the two are soon separated and forced into very different—but equally dangerous—situations... -
Torin by Lane Hart, D.B. West
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsEvil comes in many forms, and right now it’s a beautiful, raven-haired woman hanging upside down on a stripper pole. Here in Vegas, they call her Destiny, but I know exactly who she really is. Lexi Cruz and her father ruined my life. They blackmailed me for millions. And then, when I refused to pay them another dime, they murdered my old lady and our unborn son... -
Verek by Lane Hart, D.B. West
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsVerek Rhodes is playboy royalty in South Carolina. As a member of the Savage Kings MC and the manager of a nightclub, women were easy come, easy go in his life, until he met Tessa.Tessa Singleton was getting ready to marry the man of her dreams before her entire world came crashing down. She’s spent the past few months in therapy, trying to heal her emotional wounds... -
The Demon by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThey call me The Demon for a reason and Eliza Ortega is about to find out why.A runaway mafia princess who stumbled from one nightmare to an even bigger one.She has something I want and I intend on collecting.I will stop at nothing to deliver my promise and if there are casualties I will consider it a good day at the office.My hobby is testing limits... -
Tempted to Kiss by W. Winters
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author W Winters comes an emotionally-gripping, romantic suspense. I fell for someone I shouldn’t have. I’m not the only person to ever do such a thing. I know that. And I’m not an awful person for desiring his touch, his kiss, his everything… but I knew I shouldn’t have indulged. There’s something about knowing it’s wrong that tempts me that much more... -
23 Hours by Bink Cummings
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTheir paths crossed once before, igniting a flame that's burned for decades.What's up? I'm Gunz, the Sergeant at Arms of the Sacred Sinners MC, and shit just got real.When a long-time rival infiltrates our compound and incites a war, I don't have time for distractions. But she doesn't care when she shows up out of nowhere and turns my already chaotic life upside down... -
Pretty Evil by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen the cage door opens, freedom is a difficult temptation to ignore.Serena VieriMafia princess, protected her entire life for a very good reason.There is a target on her back.Her family believed she was better off not knowing but with knowledge comes a certain kind of power that she could sure use right now... -
Savage Beast by Kristen Luciani
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe Stole My Kiss…Right Before He Stole Me.The second my brother’s ex-best friend tore off my clothes, I was obsessed. His ripped muscles, seductive smirk, and bad boy charm made my knees weak and everything else tingle ever since we were teenagers.I always dreamed I’d become the center of his world.I guess I should have been more specific about my wish.He ruined me...Categorized as:
vengeance mafia multicultural suspense super rich hero contemporary dark from hate to love -
Torian by Eden Summers
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom International bestselling author, Eden Summers, comes a seductive forbidden romance destined to leave you breathless. I fell for the enemy.A man whose actions resemble the devil so closely it frightens me.We were meant to hate each other.To despise and detest.But his appeal is so much greater than the playboy smile and body built for sin.What I'm doing is wrong.What I'm feeling is immoral... -
Ace by Brooke Summers
All she’s wanted is to be loved… He only wants fun...Andromeda Peters lives her life in the shadows.Being dealt trauma at such a young age, she steeled her heart against everyone.She never thought she’d find someone she could trust.Until Ace.She’s the daughter of his enemy… He’s the man that she loves…Ace made a vow months ago. He would take out all those that harmed his sister... -
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Ten: A Mafia Plus-Size Romance by Roxie Rivera
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTen years ago, Nisha Jackson survived her serial killer husband but lost something precious during her escape. Since then, she’s built a successful life for herself. She has a beautiful home, a grumpy cat, beloved friends, and a career that brings her joy. There’s only one thing she wants to complete her life—Anton Vasiliev... -
A Shade of Evil by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsRevenge is a dish best served cold.Shade Vieri has no mercy. No compassion and no empathy.He is cruel, enigmatic, and deliciously dark.His instructions are clear.Find the Achilles heel of the enemy and destroy it.The enemy is a woman who slides across his soul like spun silk.A breath of fresh air in a dark, depressing world... -
Taken by Him by S.R. Jones
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHe took me like a thief in the night, but I was already his from the moment I laid eyes on him. Maxim Volkov. A name I had never heard before but one that my heart now beats for.He’s not an easy man to love. He’s hard. Brutal. Unforgiving. A weapon forged in the fire and pain of his early life. I will take that weapon and use it to bring down all who betrayed me...Categorized as:
mafia vengeance contemporary dark super rich hero bad boys forced proximity suspense -
Devil's Kiss by Faith Summers, Khardine Gray
In a world where the secret society and the Bratva reigns, villains and monsters own you from birth. I was torn between two hearts: The devil who stole me. And the man I was promised to. I was supposed to marry Viktor Volkova, heir to one of the most powerful families in the society. But his older brother stole me on our wedding day, just as we were about to take our vows...Categorized as:
mafia vengeance arranged marriage suspense dark new adult love triangle contemporary -
30 Days of Shame by Ginger Talbot
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe monster draws pleasure from my pain. Now, it's time to fight back.SERGEI30 days of pain have pushed Willow to her limits.My pretty prisoner is no longer meek. She's trying to resist.But my precious prize doesn't know what I know.Nobody has ever won a war against me.Nobody has ever bested me.And she's not going to be the first.Good luck, little Willow.. -
Illicit Captor by Maggie Cole
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHe kidnapped me to avenge my husband. The husband I’ve never loved. The cruel man my father forced me to marry to teach me a lesson. My husband didn’t think twice about how to carry out those lessons. Now, I’ve gone from one prison to another. My captor is just as ruthless as my husband. He’ll kill, torture, and do everything to hurt my family until no one is left. Except for me...Categorized as:
mafia vengeance suspense dark alpha male contemporary forced proximity from hate to love -
Duty by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThey say heavy is the head that wears the crown … Andino Marcello’s world is turned upside down when he becomes the next heir apparent to the Marcello empire. He was comfortable in his place as a Capo, but comfort is for the weak in the world of mafioso. The boss’s seat is waiting... -
Beautifully Savage Butterfly by K.M. Neuhold
Being savage in the ring is one thing. The way Elio Moretti craves my violence outside the ring is another. I feel like I’ve been fighting my whole life, and tapping out has never been an option. I can live with owing money to the Morettis. I can even live with the constant guilt that my brother is the one paralyzed in a hospital bed while I live his dream... -
A Single Kiss by Willow Winters
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Willow Winters comes a heart-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat gripping, romantic suspense. I should feel shame for not wanting this to end, but he doesn’t want it to end either. When the darkness sets in, the flames all flickered out, and the loud click of the locks signal it’s over, that’s when reality comes back. The war. The drugs... -
SINS: Books 1-4 by Emma Slate
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSins of a King (Book 1)Flynn Campbell is a king among men.He plays Manhattan’s elite like pawns on a chessboard.He’s a man you don’t cross, but that’s exactly what my brother has done.Debts must be repaid.But it’s not money Flynn wants…It’s me.Suddenly I’m thrust into a criminal underworld, full of seduction and lies.Ensnared by danger and power, foreign desires burn within me... -
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Winston by Lane Hart, D.B. West
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWinston Prescott has been a grumpy SOB for the past ten years. None of his brothers in the Savage Kings MC knew why, not until the day one of them made the mistake of posting a sexy centerfold on the wall of the clubhouse.The gorgeous model posing topless on sports cars and motorcycles isn’t just any girl. Her name is Zoe Donahue, and she also happens to be Winston’s stepsister... -
Blood & Heartache by Elizabeth Knight
** Please be advised this book has major triggers please read authors note**Blood has been spilt, my heart has been broken, and there are traitors in our midst. What a great way to start as the new leader of the Caprioni Family.Just when I thought I’d finally have everything I’d ever dreamed of, it was torn away from me... -
The Devil's Lair by Penny Dee
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsMassimo De Kysa.The man who stole my first kiss.And now my boss.I learned early how life can turn on a dime.That’s how it is when you grow up as a mafia princess.One minute you’re rich, spoilt, and betrothed to the most revered man in the city—the next your broke and selling your designer bags so you can eat.But I’m not the kind of girl who gives up without a fight...Categorized as:
mafia vengeance dark from hate to love suspense friends to lovers mystery forced proximity -
Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii Vol. 7 by Asuka Konishi
In this critically acclaimed romantic crime drama, a yakuza granddaughter is sent from Osaka to marry the grandson of a rival family in Tokyo!Yoshino grew up the sheltered yakuza princess of the largest crime family in Osaka, the Somei. Due to her resting bitch face and dangerous family, no man has ever approached her... -
Blood Sky by S. Massery
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKill those who betray you.Never trust someone with nothing to lose.Family is business. Delia I watched my enemies murder my father. On the run, I plot to return home and lead my mafia family as my father did. But some would kill for my inheritance, and unearthing those people from the shadows would be impossible without Jackson... -
Marked by Eva Winners
Series BlurbWhen powers clash between the powerful, elite American families and billionaire mafia men. ✅ Mafia romance ✅ Hot Billionaires✅ Steamy sex✅ Violence Three orphans that grew up on the streets of Moscow among Bratva. Their experiences made them brothers. Their strength made them leaders.Three best friends on an unforgettable summer vacation find more than they bargain for... -
Daddy's Orders by K.C. Crowne
I knew he wanted to punish me for my father’s dealings…I just never expected to enjoy it.A dark past hardened me, scarred me,Making it difficult to give a d*mn about relationships.Then comes along Emily.Fifteen years younger.The innocent virgin and daughter of the man I despise.She's twenty-three and drop dead fu*king gorgeous.My trousers tighten the moment we meet...Categorized as:
mafia vengeance age difference alpha male dark super rich hero virgin heroine contemporary -
Cooper by Lane Hart, D.B. West
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCooper and Elizabeth Townsend are from two very different worlds - she's an attorney and he's an outlaw biker. At first, she was just an escape he needed, but now she's everything to him, even though their relationship remains a secret.After his world is blown apart, Cooper is no longer the same man he was before... -
Dirty Pool by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTo get what he wants, he’ll have to play a game of dirty pool. Michel Marcello never wanted to be a mafioso like every other man in his family—he wanted to be more. That doesn’t mean he’s unfamiliar with the life, or that he can’t hold his own against other made men... -
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Merciless Union by Faith Summers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEverything changed overnight.Truth became my enemy, and the sting of betrayal dragged me into a web of lies.I’m damned if I fight to live and damned if I die. Both will be dangerous for the child growing inside me. I can’t trust Lucca to save us.Love is a myth we shouldn’t have explored.He was always my enemy.Love just made me forget and blinded me to the truth... -
Bridges Burned by Marie James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI didn’t swear vengeance on the Severino Family after Ellie’s death. I was only a child after all.I didn’t swear vengeance when my father, a coward who wasn’t man enough to seek justice for her, drank himself into a divorce.Going after them would be a death sentence.I chose to live my life in the shadows, seeking revenge for others.That was until I ran into the very man that took Ellie’s life... -
The Afterthought by K.M. Baker
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI never planned to return to Dune Valley. The drugs. The gangs. The life people lead. It's something I thought I left in the past when I packed up and set off to the unknown. For seven years I was free from all the painful memories that come with that town. Until now.When the Sheriff called to tell me, I have a 17-year-old-sister, I had no choice. I had to return.My plan was simple... -
Filthy Marcellos: The Complete Collection by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFilthy Marcellos: La Cosa Nostra is not just a choice of regime and routine, it’s a culture. Born as mafia royalty, the Marcello brothers were raised ingrained with the beliefs and rules of what it meant to be a Mafioso prince. It is for life. Their status is considered a given right. They will always be these people. They will always be Marcellos. Family first. God second... -
Claimed as Revenge by Piper Stone
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA Dark Mafia RomanceI claimed her to send a message. I'll keep her for my pleasure.Valencia Rivera was given to me for a night to seal a deal offered to me by her father, but after that pact was broken I decided she was mine to keep. She thought she had a say in the matter, but she found out otherwise when the first stinging lash of my belt landed on her beautiful bottom... -
Jaded Devil by Nicole Fox
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI’LL SHOW HER WHAT A DEVIL DOES WHEN AN ANGEL FALLS INTO HIS LAP.I met her the day I killed her father.She stood there, soaked in his blood, and swore she’d make me pay when the time was right.Twenty years later, that day has come.She’s beautiful now.A dark temptation I never expected.But Renata Lombardi is in far over her head.Because she thinks this is a game of kill or be killed.She’s wrong...
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